José María Aznar

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José María Aznar is the former Prime Minister and President of Spain, in office as Prime Minister from 1996 to 2004 and President from 2004 to 2016.[1] Since 2018, it has been widely reported by the international media that Aznar has taken a position as a lobbyist for Philip Morris International (PMI) in Latin America.[2][3][4]

Relationship with the Tobacco Industry

Spain

During his terms in office and thereafter, Aznar has been criticised for having an open-door policy with the tobacco industry.[10] The major Spanish newspaper El Pais published articles about the ties between Aznar and El Club del Fumador,[11] a non-profit organisation funded by Philip Morris International which promotes the right to smoke and use tobacco products. This organisation is part of a network that includes the tobacco industry funded groups Forest and the World Smokers Resistance, among others. According to El Pais, Aznar met with members of this organisation when in office, at el Palacio de la Moncloa, the official residence of the Prime Minister of Spain.[11]
In 1998, Aznar led the privatisation of Tabacalera, the tobacco company owned by the Spanish Government since the 17th century.[12] He appointed one of his close friends to handle the privatization process, the former president of Telefonica, Cesar Alierta.[13]Imperial Tobacco bought the company. Later on, a corruption scandal was uncovered regarding the sale of Tabacalera. Alierta and his family allegedly used confidential information to purchase a large number of Tabacalera’s shares for personal profit.[12] The corruption case reached Spain’s Supreme Court in 2007. The Court was criticized for acquitting Alierta and his family, on the grounds that the statute of limitations had run out.[14]

Chile

According to public records from the Government of Chile, Aznar met with the Chilean Minister of Finance, Felipe Larrain Bascuñan and the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Finance, Francisco Matte Risopatrón, on 8 May 2018.(Image 1)[9] The meeting lasted 30 minutes, and in the meeting minutes Aznar and the rest of his colleagues are portrayed as ‘interest lobbyists’. The records describe that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss:

“the electronic cigarette market and tax implications. Preparation, dictation, modification, denial or rejection of administrative acts, bills and laws and also decisions taken by taxpayers”[9]

Chile, following its commitment to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), has adopted regulations that prohibit tobacco product advertising, including smoke-less products, as well as strict rules that government officials must not meet with the tobacco industry or its representatives. The next day, on 9 May 2018, according to public records, Chilean Minister Felipe Larrain Bascuñan met for an hour with a number of lobbyists from different multinational corporations, including two lobbyists for PMI.(Image 2)[15] Aznar was not present at this meeting.[15]

Peru

In January 2019, the Congress of the Republic of Peru, began discussions on stricter tobacco product regulations, including a ban on tobacco advertising.[16] At the same time, a group of congress representatives from Fuerza Popular, one of the main right-wing parties of Peru, submitted the 3833 bill[17] to replace the current tobacco control law 27805 with less restrictive regulations. These proposed amendments would allow the introduction of e-cigarettes in Peru.[18]
Several newspapers and media outlets reported that Aznar travelled to Peru, in February 2019 on a similar mission to the one in Chile, lobbying for the tobacco industry.[19][20] Allegedly, Aznar made an appointment to meet with the Minister of Health but did not attend this meeting. [20]